'The Good Wife,' 'Star Trek,' other CBS shows to remain on Amazon

CBS and Amazon extended their licensing arrangement this week. Last summer's hit "Under the Dome," based on a Stephen King novel, helped underscore the value of the arrangement. (CBS)

CBS Corp. has expanded its licensing arrangement with Amazon.com, ensuring that classic shows from the CBS library will be available to Amazon's Prime Instant Video service subscribers.

The new deal, announced Wednesday, extends the licensing period for older shows from the CBS vault made available to Amazon Prime members at no additional cost to their annual subscription fee of $79.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

CBS initially went into business with Amazon three years ago as a digital test. But the relationship proved valuable as funding from Amazon helped underwrite the cost of "Under the Dome," a summer series based on a best-selling Stephen King novel. CBS greenlit the high-profile project only after making sure the show would make money, and Amazon provided a key piece of the funding.

"Under the Dome," which was produced by Steven Spielberg, went on to be the most-watched summer TV series in 21 years. It also was the most popular program on Amazon's service last year.

Amazon offers other CBS-owned shows, including the complete "Star Trek" franchise and TV classics such as "I Love Lucy," without commercials.

CBS said its drama "The Good Wife" was the No. 1 show on the Amazon service during the fourth quarter of 2013.

CBS plans a second season of "Under the Dome," for this summer and a new summer series called "Extant," also produced by Spielberg, which stars Halle Berry. Both will be made available on Amazon just a few days after their TV airings.